The Cardinals had been shopping the slick-fielding, no-hit shortstop with the Twins among those interested, before sending him to Seattle. Ryan hit .223/.279/.294 with two home runs and 36 RBI in 139 games for the Cardinals last season (so he'll fit right in with the Mariners). The team acquired Ryan Theriot, who will be their starting shortstop this season.

Cleto is a 21-year old Dominican who was 4-9 with a 6.16 ERA a Class A High Desert of the California League. Cleto struck out 83 and walked 44, while allowing 125 hits in 102/ 2/3 innings last season. He can throw in the high-90s, but doesn't do much else as a pitcher.

UPDATE: "Cleto has a power arm that at times has reached 100," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said (via Bernie Miklasz on Twitter ). "He's someone that could project as a back of the bullpen talent with additional development and experience."

The Cardinals are looking on cornering the market on Molinas, as they have "pressed" to sign Bengie Molina to backup his brother, Yadier in St. Louis, Joe Stauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes .

Bengie Molina, who played for the Rangers and Giants last season, has publicly mulled retirement.

"I don't know where he is [in his decision process]. Only he knows that," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the paper. "As far as the fit, it's great for us. But anybody who's used to playing a lot has to make an adjustment as a backup. You work so close with the first guy, if you give off any vibe about playing time, that's not good, whether it's Bengie or anybody else trying to clear that hurdle."

Strauss writes the Cardinals have $1 million to spend on a backup catcher, their only hole on the roster. Bengie Molina made $4.5 million last season.

The Cardinals have also expressed interest in Josh Bard and Gregg Zaun. The team may not make a move on their catcher until they make a decision on shortstop Brendan Ryan, who is drawing interest from the Twins.

Seeking to bolster their middle infield -- and perhaps covering their bets in case they can't reach agreement with Tsuyoshi Nishioka -- the Twins are attempting to trade for the Cardinals' Brendan Ryan, a source tells Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Minnesota just traded shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Orioles, and has Alexi Casilla as its best current option. The Twins are expected to bring in Nishioka, who they are negotiating with through Japan's posting system, but Ryan would add depth at shortstop and second base. He was displaced when the Cardinals acquired Ryan Theriot as their everyday shortstop.

Ryan, 28, had a terrible 2010 at the plate, perhaps related to offseason wrist surgery, seeing his average drop 69 points to .223. But his real value is in the field, where he is as good as they get.

A couple of things from Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak meeting with the team's beat writers:

• Mozeliak has met with Dan Lozano, the agent for Albert Pujols, but wouldn't say much more. He said the two sides have agreed not to "negotiate this in the press." (via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatchon Twitter )

• Jason Bartlett's name will be bandied about, but the Cardinals aren't interested, Mozeliak said (Goold on Twitter ).

Mozeliak said the acquisition of Ryan Theriot will finish up St. Louis' search for middle infield help. It appears the team will be happy with Theriot at shortstop and Skip Schumaker at second.

If the Cardinals do anything, they will subtract a middle infielder, not add one, as Brendan Ryan could be moved. The Padres are interested in Ryan.

• St. Louis needs to make a move for a backup catcher, but Mozeliak said, "I don't feel we're close to anything at the moment." (B.J. Raines of FOXSportsMidwest.com on Twitter )

Ryan stumbled through a brutal 2010 campaign, hitting just .223/.279/.294 in 486 plate appearances despite providing his usual strong defense up the middle. The 28-year-old had enjoyed a .292/.340/.400 year the season past, so was baffled as to his production.

Ryan struggled with a new swing developed by incoming hitting coach Mark McGwire and wrist surgery, and couldn't get it together in a year that ended up as a "nightmare scenario," as Ryan tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch .

"I know this is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately game," Ryan added, saying he realizes why the Cardinals struck for Ryan Theriot and why he may be on the way out. "A repeat of 2009 is more likely than a repeat of 2010. Sure, that is looking at things from my point of view, my believing in myself, but it's also looking at it realistically. I know the player I can be, and last season that wasn't me. I'm doubling-down on that."

St. Louis is expected to look at trading Ryan as soon as possible, certainly during the Winter Meetings. The club could opt to keep Ryan and use him off the bench or even put him in a battle with Skip Schumaker for second base, but the team's preference would be deal him away.

"I think he still has some ways that he can help the Cardinals," Mozeliak said. "But if there is a deal out there that makes sense for us, we should pursue it. We need to be open to having those discussions."

The Cardinals have spent much of their offseason looking for middle infield help, and they may not have gotten the final answer, but they at least have some competition for spring training, acquiring second baseman/shortstop Ryan Theriot from the Dodgers in exchange for right-hander Blake Hawksworth.

Theriot hit .270/.321/.312 last season with the Cubs and Dodgers, faring much better in the National League Central. Theriot started 112 games at second base and 28 at shortstop last season, all 28 of his shortstop starts came with the Cubs.

The Cardinals have expressed their reservations in going into 2011 with Brendan Ryan at shortstop, while second baseman Skip Schumaker has been given a vote of confidence by Tony La Russa.

Hawksworth appeared in 45 games in 2010, going 4-8 with a 4.98 ERA. In 90 1/3 innings, he struck out 61 and walked 35.

With the Dodgers signing Juan Uribe, Theriot was expendable. He went to the Dodgers along with Ted Lilly at the trade deadline last year in exchange for Brett Wallach, Kyle Smit and Blake DeWitt.

Because of his run-in with manager Tony La Russa this past season, Cardinals center fielder Colby Rasmus has been a popular name in trade rumors, but Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak stated what most everyone else has said about a Rasmus trade -- don't count on it.

"Every player in the right deal could be traded," Mozleiak said, "but we're not shopping him. More importantly, I think it would be very difficult or almost impossible for us to replace him. So the way we're planning on moving, he's a big part of our club."

Mozeliak said the issues between Rasmus and La Russa have been handed and it's no longer an issue.

"I don't think someone with his service time (two years) can pick and choose where he wants to be," Mozeliak said.

And that's exactly why moving him made zero sense. Rasmus won't be arbitration-eligible until 2012 and won't be a free agent until 2015. He also had the third-best OPS among Cardinals regulars, hitting .276/.361/.498 last season with 23 home runs. For a team that was searching from offense from anyone without a $100 million contract, it would be difficult to give up a 24-year old producing at a premium position.

The Cardinals, however, would like to upgrade at shortstop, Mozeliak said. Brendan Ryan may have been the best defensive shortstop in the National League last season, but he hit .223/.279.294 in 2010. The team could also look to upgrade at second base, where Skip Schumaker hit .265/.328/.338.

"There is a school of thought that Skip will produce more than he did last year. There's a comfort level of that being probable," Mozeliak said. "In Brendan's case you would hope there would be some improvement, too. But if there were a way to address one of those positions in a positive way, we would pursue it. We probably have more of an emphasis on short than second at this point."

"There are some things that need to change and that’s probably going to be offensively,” Ryan said of a year where he hit .223/.279/.294 in 486 plate appearances, absolutely brutal numbers to FoxSportsMidwest.com . “There’s no guarantee that I’ll be back. I don’t know. I really hope I am. I understand it’s a business and I’m going into arbitration here so things could happen but I just don’t know."

Although Ryan has superlative defense, he had a meltdown on defense at one point in May and also had a public run-in with pitcher Chris Carpenter in a season he would like to forget.

“It was pretty disappointing,” Ryan said of a season in which he was behind in spring training due to surgery for the wrist and just never caught up. "I’m still early in my career here but my plan wasn’t to hit .220 or whatever it was. ... At times I had an inconsistent approach. I think some of it definitely got in my head, just getting frustrating and pressing too much. I just wanted it so bad that I got in my own way at times."

Ryan is in line for his first season of arbitration. Had he hit closer to what he did in his first full season in 2009 of .292/.340/.400, he might be looking at a nice raise. Now, he won't make enough money that St. Louis may feel compelled to move the 28-year-old, especially given the Cards have a lack of options in the infield.

That would be OK with Ryan, who wants to remain a Cardinal.

"I think I’ve been very clear that I want to stay a Cardinal as long as they will give me a locker and issue me a jersey, but they’ve got to make all the puzzle pieces work and if it’s because of me, nobody wants to be that guy. I want to feel wanted."

By virtue of his expected salary and lack of options, the Cardinals definitely want Ryan back. Enough to hand him the starting job again? That's to be determined.